Actor Edmund Chen files police report, after giving $10,000 to woman who 'abused his trust'

SINGAPORE - Local actor Edmund Chen has filed a police report, after claiming to have lost at least $10,000 to a woman he had hired but who later "abused his trust".

Chen confirmed with The Straits Times on Saturday (April 15) that he had filed a police report, although he declined to share the content of the report.

"I have a lot to lose, to be honest," he said over the phone. "I contemplated for a long, long time (whether or not to make it public) but I thought - if I can prevent the next victim, I would do so and I think I have prevented a few (from falling for her tricks)."

Chen alleged that others have been tricked by her too.

He began making a series of posts on his Facebook page about the woman, identified by Lianhe Waobao as Miss H, on April 10.

He said he received a private message in 2016 from Miss H, 30, who said she wanted to collaborate with him on an art project.

Chen, 56, is also an illustrator. The project did not take off, but he introduced her to his family and she became close to them, with his actress wife Xiang Yun making her a goddaughter.

The woman faced financial difficulties, and Chen allegedly gave her red packets amounting to at least $10,000.

Later, she began working for him, representing him for events and in business.

Chen fired the woman in February this year, but she allegedly continued to pass herself off as his representative in his business circles.

He alleged that she changed his password and he was initially locked out of his Facebook account.

The woman told Wanbao on Thursday that she had not done anything wrong.

She said: "He attacked me on Facebook before I even had a chance to tell reporters anything. This amounts to libel. Why would he do this?"

She said that she would discuss her options with her lawyers.

Chen, however, told ST on Saturday that he felt what he had posted about her "were facts".

This article was first published on April 15, 2017.
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